Weatherproof router trowel



Feb. 13, 1962 J. B. MULLICANE WEATHERPROOF ROUTER TROWEL Filed May 25. 1959 5- FIG- 4 zzvmvroza Mast-PH 15. M01 4 /CA IVE BY 6M6 ATTOENFYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,020,575 Patented Feb. 13, 1962 3,020,575 WEATHERPROOF ROUTER TROWEL Joseph B. Mullicane, 11715 Inglewood Ave., Hawthorne, Caiif.

Filed May 25, 1959, Ser. No. 815,505 Claims. (Cl. lid-"2353) This invention relates to weatherproof router trowels, and included in the objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a trowel which is employed in the laying of brick walls for the purpose of troweling the mortar therebetween exposed to the outer face of the wall so as to form a downwardly sloping mortar surface flush with the upper corner of the under brick and recessed with respect to the upper brick, so that water tends to drip from the upper brick rather than flow over the junction between the mortar and upper brick, thereby to minimize penetration of moisture between the bricks and mortar.

Second, to provide a trowel of this type which is guided by the adjacent bricks so as to produce a uniform mortar surface.

Third, to provide a trowel of this type which is particularly easy to use even by a less experienced brick 1a er.

llVith the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the router trowel from the handle side thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a side view thereof from the troweling blade side;

FIGURE 3 is a top view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is an end view thereof;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken through 4-4 of FIGURE 3 and showing fragmentarily an upper and lower course of brick with mortar therebetween to illustrate the manner of use of the weatherproof router trowel.

The weatherproof router trowel includes a trowel blade 1 which is relatively long. One side forms a troweling face 2 having relatively sharp upper and lower edges 3 and 4. Welded integrally with the trowel blade 1 at its back side and at an angle therewith is a guide or gaging strip 5 which, when in a vertical position, projects above the upper edge of the troweling face 2. The upper edge is spaced from the gaging strip a predetermined distance 6. The upper portion of the back side of the trowel lade 1 and the gaging strip 5 forms a channel 7 for the collection of excess mortar.

The trowel blade 1 is of uniform width except at its ends wherein the upper and lower edges taper or converge slightly, as indicated by 4a. The end portions curve outwardly from the troweling face 2, as indicated by 8, and the gaging strip 5 also curves, as indicated by 9.

Secured at the midportion of the gaging strip 5 is a handle It). The extreme upper corners of the gaging strip 5 are beveled, as indicated by 11, and the beveled edges are provided with small prongs 12 which serve as scoring means.

Operation of the weatherproof router trowel is as follows:

After mortar 13 has been placed on a lower course of brick 14, and an upper course of brick 15 has been laid in place, a portion of the excess mortar may be removed by the end of the trowel or gaging strip 5, or by use of a pointed trowel. The weatherproof router trowel is then positioned so that the upwardly projecting portion of the gaging strip 5 rides against the outer face of the upper course of brick 15. This positionsthe upper edge 3 of the troweling face 2 at the predetermined distance 6, inwardly from the outer face of the upper course of brick.

When the gaging strip 5 is so positioned, the troweling face 2 extends downwardly and outwardly and continues beyond the outer face of the lower course of brick 14, and bears against the upper corner thereof. The trowel is then moved back and forth to finish the surface of the mortar 13 to provide a smooth, beveled, outer draining face 16. The upper edge of the trowel blade 1 shears the mortar from the underside of the upper course of brick 15 so as to provide a drip ledge 17. Excess mortar is collected in the channel 7.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the exact details of the construction set forth, and it embraces such changes, modifications, and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A weatherproof router trowel for troweling mortar between upper and lower courses of brick, comprising: a trowel blade; a guide strip, said blade and strip joined together along their lower margins to form a unitary member of V-shaped cross section having a mortar-collecting channel between said trowel blade and guide strip, said guide strip adapted when placed against an upper course of brick to occupy a vertical operating position in which said guide strip projects above said trowel blade, thereby to place said trowel blade in an angular position for angular insertion between said upper course and a lower course to trowel the mortar therebetween to produce a sloping face.

2. A weatherproof router trowel for troweling mortar between upper and lower courses of brick, comprising:

adapted to be inserted angularly between an upper and a lower course of bricks with said upper edge engaging the underside of the upper course of bricks inwardly from their outer face, and an intermediate portion of said blade riding on the upper corner of the lower course of bricks, thereby to trowel the mortar therebetween to produce a flat sloping face; and a gaging strip extending, when in an operative position, upwardly from the back side of said trowel blade above the upper edge thereof in angular relation therewith and at a predetermined distance from said upper edge, to engage the outer surfaces of the upper course of bricks to regulate the depth of said upper edge from the outer face of said upper course of bricks, said gaging strip and the back side of said trowel forming the side walls of an upwardly open mortar-collecting channel.

3. A weatherproof router trowel for troweling mortar between upper and lower courses of brick, comprising: an elongated trowel blade having a troweling face with relatively sharp upper'and lower edges, said blade adapted to be inserted angularly between an upper and a lower course of bricks with said upper edge engaging the underside of the upper course of bricks inwardly from their outer face, and an intermediate portion of said blade riding on the upper corner of the lower course of bricks, thereby to trowel the mortar therebetween to produce a sloping face; and an elongated gaging strip extending, when in its operative position, substantially above the back side of said trowel blade in angular relation therewith and at a predetermined distance from said upper edge to engage the upper course of bricks and to regulate the horizontal depth of said upper edge from the outer face of said upper course of bricks; said gaging strip defining with the back side of said trowel blade an upwardly open channel to relatively sharp upper and lower edges, said blade adapted to be inserted angularly .between an upper and a lower course of bricks with said upper edge engaging the underside of the upper course of bricks inwardly from their outer face,. and an intermediate portion of said blade riding onthe upper corner of the lower course of bricks, thereby to trowel the mortar therebetween to produce a fiat sloping face; and an elongated gaging strip of substantially greater Width than said trowel blade secured by its lower margintto said trowel blade and extending upwardly at an angle to the face thereof and, whenin its operative position, projecting above the upper edge of the trowel blade for engagement with the upper course of bricks thereby to regulate the depth of saidupper edge from the outer face of said upper course of bricks, the confronting sides of said trowel blade and said gaging strip forming an upwardly open mortar-collecting channel; the transverse extremities of said trowel blade and gaging strip curving backwardly from said troweling face and the upper and lower edges thereof tapering toward each other in said curved extremities.

5. A weatherproof router trowel for troweling mortar between upper and lower courses of brick, comprising: an elongated trowel blade having a troweling face with relatively sharp upper and lower edges, said blade adapted to be inserted angularly between an upper and a lower course of bricks with said upper edge engaging the underside of the upper course of bricks inwardly from their'outer face, and an intermediate portion of said blade riding on the upper corner of the lower course of bricks, thereby to trowel the mortar therebetween to produce a sloping face; and an elongated gaging strip of substantially greater width than said trowel blade secured by its lower margin to said trowel blade and, when in its operative position, extending upwardly at an angle to the face thereof and projecting above the upper edge of the trowel blade for engagement with the upper course of bricks thereby to regulate the depth of said upper edge from the outer face of said upper course of bricks; the transverse extremities of said trowel blade and gagingistrip curving backwardly from said troweling face and the .upper .and lower edges thereof tapering toward each othertin said curved extremities; said gaging strip defining with the back side of said trowel blade an upwardly openchannel to receive excess mortar.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,010,554 White Dec. 5, 1911 1,292,558 Ackerson Ian. 28, 1914 1,347,938 Conelly July 27, 1920 1,436,254 Henry Nov. 21, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS 819,721 France July 12, 1937 

